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Cig Butts NOAA

Hold On To Your Butts

Catch fish, not filters

Surfrider Kenai Peninsula is working hard to ensure the only types of butts you see on the beach are halibut.

Cigarette butts are the single most littered item in the world, and Alaska is no exception. Each year, thousands of these toxic remnants find their way onto our beautiful coastlines, leaching harmful chemicals into the sand and water. This pollution not only threatens marine life and local wildlife but also impacts public health and the enjoyment of our natural spaces. By raising awareness and taking collective action, we can protect Alaska’s pristine beaches and ensure that our shoreline remains a safe, clean, and welcoming place for everyone.

Hold On To Your Butts Final Sticker

While small in size, cigarette butts pose a large environmental problem.

• Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the United States and the world. It’s estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered each year worldwide. It is estimated that 1.69 billion pounds (845,000 tons) of butts wind up as litter worldwide per year (Chicago Tribune. 2008 Jun 18) During the Ocean Conservancy's 2008 Annual International Coastal Cleanup, cigarette butts were 28% of all items collected.

• Many smokers incorrectly believe cigarette butts are made of biodegradable cotton. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, NOT COTTON, and they can take decades to degrade, but never fully decompose.

• Not only does cigarette litter ruin even the most picturesque setting, but the toxic residue in cigarette filters is damaging to the environment. Cigarette filters trap chemicals and when submerged in water the chemicals leach into ecosystems, threatening the quality water and aquatic life.

During beach cleanups on the Homer Spit, volunteers remove on average 100 cigarette butts every hour.

The goals for Surfrider’s “Hold On To Your Butt” campaign include:

• Reduce cigarette litter.
• Increase public awareness about the problem.
• Advocate for better enforcement and implementation of littering/smoking laws.
• Educate consumers about the impacts of tobacco litter on the environment.

Cigarette butts in Seward